Hey folks, Harry here and ya know... If you haven't seen BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS... well.. You just haven't quite lived yet. There is something transcendent about the film that just... Well it just creates a feeling of temporary insanity where you may and might do anything that your brain ordinarily tells you is wrong. The music is fantastic. The writing is literally unlike anything you have ever heard or seen. And I mean that in a very very complimentary manner. It is also the reason why Roger Ebert is super cool. I mean. He wrote this movie. Worked with Russ Meyer. And that is just too cool. When I did Siskel and Ebert I had Rog, sign my pressbook for the film... But when I did Minneapolis... a very cool fan (who's email address I have lost!) gave me a VALLEY OF THE DOLLS/BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS one-sheet that just rocked. But man... I would love to be in L.A. for this Russ Meyer fest. Too cool.

I went to the screening of Russ Meyer's "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. They've had a Russ Meyer fest there going on for a few days and it lasts until next weekend. Guess who attended the screening and stayed for Q&A later on…the man himself. RUSS MEYER ! Not to mention Edy Williams, John "Z-man" Lazar, Haji and Kitten Natividad. That is not a misprint Harry. It was a religious experience for me and I haven't come down from the high yet. Before the picture started, the theater was playing the audio track from Beneath The Valley of the UltraVixens. The audience - nothing but Meyer fans who slobber over "Dolls" in particular. Everyone laughing their asses off at the best parts, "This is my happening and it freaks me out, man!" and "you will drink the black sperm of my vengeance !". I wish they would have cleaned up the print though, several places in it had green scratches and some shots needed to have the color matched or enhanced. The whole thing was surreal. Especially at the end when I met Russ.

They started the Q&A at the end of the film, Russ said a few things regarding the freedom Fox gave him in making the film and , Edy babbled for a few minutes too long, John Lazar answered some questions. He talked about how he was blacklisted from the industry for being in the movie. He said casting agents would tell him it was a mistake to do the film and that they were surprised that he wasn't anything like the Z-man character. He would reply, "Of course I'm not like that guy, I'm a fuckin' actor. If I was like that guy, I'd be in fuckin' San Quentin !". He seemed a little bitter at how life turned out for him but still believes in the film's integrity.

They said we had to clear out because they were letting another audience in to see a screening of "Lorna" & "Cherry, Harry & Raquel". At that point I immediately walked to the front and stood next to Russ and waited for him & John Lazar to finish their conversation, so I could get an autograph.

After Lazar left, he turned to me and resumed his conversation (now to the general public, I guess). He mentioned a few things like he wanted to direct a film on Hemingway and that he would be Hemingway and he would shoot at a whorehouse he likes to frequent. I think he was joking, but I was in mild shock that he was even talking to me.

I don't think he's senile or anything, but I worry the old gent may be slowly fading. I asked him if his films were going to be on DVD anytime soon. He said he prefers to wait a while on things like that. I wanted to say, "Russ, please, you won't be around for many more years. Can we record the director commentary now?". Instead, I asked him to sign my photo of him and co-writer Roger Ebert (which I had purchased only minutes before the screening).

Russ said Ebert made all kinds of wonderful contributions to the film and he enjoyed working with him (he also said Ebert's wife was the primary reason they didn't work on any projects after Beneath the Valley of the UltraVixens. Apparently she doesn't care for Russ's brand of cinema, but she has no problem with Russ personally).

Talk to ya later,

Jism Jim